We present a method for local etching of the tip region of insulator-coated carbon nanotubes (CNTs) towards passivated nanoprobes. By reactive ion etching (RIE), a 20-nm-thick SiO2 layer, which was uniformly wrapped around vertically oriented CNTs, was selectively removed from the tip, maintaining the crystallinity of inner CNT. It was found that the length of exposed CNT is controlled via etching time at an etching rate of 16 nm/min. This local etching was achieved by RIE using CF4 as an etchant, and photoresist as a passivation mask.

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We present a method for aligned bamboolike carbon nanotube (CNT) growth using RF magnetron sputtering. It has been revealed that aligned CNTs can be synthesized by adopting a hot filament in the sputtering system, as demonstrated for CNTs on an Ni/Si substrate. The resultant CNTs were found to be aligned vertically on the substrate with uniform height and have a bamboolike structure. Similar results were obtained for sputtering deposition under a negative sample bias, indicating that the effect of the hot filament can be attributed to the energy enhancement of the carbon particles impinging on the growth front, which plays an essential role in the growth of CNTs by sputtering.

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